Apparatus for stripping ingot molds



Oct. 15, 1935. p ANDERSON 2,017,385

- APPARATUS FOR STRIPPING INGOT Moms Filed Oct. 19, 1933 V 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Oct. 15, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DavidP. Anderson,

The Alliance Machine Company, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio ApplicationOctober 19, 1933, Serial No.

Pittsburgh, la., assignor to Alliance,

2'Claims. (01.22-95) This invention relates to a novel apparatus forstripping ingot molds, and particularly to those that are known as beingof the big-end-up" type, although not limited thereto.

In the past, it has been customary in the vast majority of open-hearthsteel plants to cast inmethods and apparatus gots in heavy, vertical,cast-iron molds, having a slight taper, with the smallest area adjacentthe top, and which is open at both ends. When teeming or pouring theingot, the molds are placed on flat cast-iron plates or stools which aremounted on especially adapted ingot mold cars. After a heat or ladlefull of steel is teemed into a row of molds, and the molten metal hassufiiciently solidified, a train of ingot mold cars, carrying the moldsand ingots, is transported to an ingot stripper for removal of the mold,after which the ingots are charged into a soaking pit or reheatingfurnace.

The conventional ingot stripper" is in the form of an electric overheadtraveling crane under which are two or more pairs of parallel tracks, onone of which the train of loaded ingot mold cars is adapted to stand. Onan adjoining track a train of empty ingot mold cars carrying stools onlyis placed. The stripping mechanism depends from the overhead crane, andoperates in such manner as to seize on its side by means of a pair oflinks, lift them vertically ofi of the ingot and place them on 'theempty stools on the ingot mold cars on the adjoining tracks.

There have been several recent developments in the form of ingots andmolds-which are calculated to improve the soundness of the metal of theingots. Oneof these developments contemplates the reversal of the taperin the mold, making it what is now known as the big-end-up type. Anotheradvance has been to provide a refractory hot-top to provide a sink-heador shrink-head on top of the ingot.

It is, of course, obvious to those skilled in the art that theacceptance of the superior big-endup mold has necessitated the provisionof new for stripping and han-. dling the ingots and molds. Due to thesmall reduced end of the ingot, it can no longer stand unsupported fortransportation to the soaking pit or reheating furnace after stripping,as was the usual practice. It is not feasible to "upend" ingots or laythem down upontheir sides,

- as the metallurgical characteristics of the ingots would be badlyaffected.

In view of the foregoing, it has become common practice to loosen theingot in the mold at the molds by lugs cast 'ing the apparatus in 'Thescrew D may the ingot stripper and to then leave it in the mold fortransportation to the soaking pit, where it is withdrawn and chargedinto the furnace. The conventional soaking pit cranes are provided withtongs for lifting purposes only, and it is 5 therefore necessary toconvey the molds and ingots to the stripper for feeling the ingot, andto force loose what are known as stickers.

One object of the present invention is the provision of a novelapparatus for stripping ingots, 10 regardless of how tightly they may befrozen? to the ingot mold.

Another object is to provide a novel and inexpensive means for strippingingot molds in a very rapid manner by the exertion of a camming 5 actionon the top of the ingot mold, causing the ingot to moveupwardly withrespect'thereto.

A further object is to provide a novel apparatus of the class describedwhich is simple in design and may be easily and cheaply manufactured and20 used in conjunction with conventional types of lifting mechanismforming a part of standard mill equipment.

The foregoing and still further objects will be apparent after referringto the drawings, in 25 which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus of the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation showing an ingot moldand part of theapparatus in section.- 0

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 2 but showing theapparatus in another stage of operation.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showstill another stage ofop- 35 eration.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line V-'-V of Figure 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

.the letters A indicate a pair of tracks on which 40 an overhead crane Bis adapted to travel. A conventional overhead crane trolley C is adaptedfor movement on the crane B and supports a vertically disposed screw Dand reels E and F.

spect to the overhead trolley C by means of a motor G. while the reels Eand F maybe rotated by means of motors H and 1, respectively.

A pair of cables J is secured to the reel E while a similar pair 0!cables Kis secured to the reels A carriage 2 is supported by the cables'J' and K and comprises gene an extended sleeve to which there ispivoted, as at a-pair of hoisting links 4 Milli-911888 3 surfaces 5ontheir be moved vertically with re- 45 lower ends. The hoisting links 4are moved about the pivots 3 by means of cables J and K, which aresecured to the reels E and F.

The vertical screw D extends downwardly through the carriage 2 and hassecured to its lowermost end a yoke 1 having connected to each of itsends a removable half-bearing 8 which is maintained in position by meansof countersunk bolts 9 and nuts ID. A cam I 2 isprovided for each of theends of the yoke 1 and each has a bearing surface l3 for frictionalengagement with one of the bearings 8. The cams l2 are loosely pivotedto the ends 01' the yoke, as at II, and have curved surfaces l5 adjacenttheir lower ends and gripping teeth IS on their extremities.

An ingot mold l1, preferably corrugated, is provided with a lowerportion ll of smaller area than the upper portion l1 thereof, making itas of the big-end-up" type. Suitable lugs I! are carried on the exteriorof the ingot mold H for enabling its handling, and it is provided with atapered aperture I9 extending through its bottom. A tapered plug 20 isdisposed in the aperture l9 in such manner as to extend partiallytherethrough.

After molten metal has been teemed into the ingot mold l1 and the ingotsolidified, as

, shown at 2|, both mold and ingot are transported away from the"pouring floor where it is desired to loosen them in order that they maybe satisfactorily removed from the mold and placed in the usual soakingpit or reheating furnace.

According to the teaching of the present invention, the carriage 2 islowered by means of the cables J and K in such manner as to enable thelug-engaging surfaces ,5 of the hoisting links 4' to be in. closeproximity to the lugs l8, whereupon the reels E and F are adjustedrelative to each other until the links are in lifting engagement. Thecarriage is then elevated, and the inset mold I1 is rotated in suchmanner as to cause.

it to descend and lower the yoke 1, bringing the curved bearing surfacesI 5 of the cams I2 in contact with the upper end of the ingot mold. Thedownward movement of the screw D is continuous, which causes the cams I!to fulcrum with their surfaces I 5 on the top of the ingot mold, and theteeth 16 to bite into the upper portion of the ingot II at a pointadjacent the base of the hot-topfi', which has been .previously removed.Theteeth IS on the cams it are curved as at IS, in order to conform withthe corrugated indentations 2| of the ingot.

Duetothei'actthatthecams liareloosely operation of the apparatus of theinvention, and

while I have shown and described one specific embodiment of my inventionit will be understood that I do not wish to be limited exactly thereto,since various modifications may be made without departing'from the scopeof my invention, as defined in the following claims.

I claim: I I

1. Apparatus for stripping ingot molds comprising a carriage supportedby an overhead crane, a pair of hoisting links. pivoted to said carriageand adapted to be moved'by said overhead crane, a vertically'movable rodmounted on said carriage and adapted for relative movement with respectthereto, a yoke mounted on said vertically movable rod, a removablebearing connected to each of the ends of said yoke, a cam pivoted toeach of the ends of said yoke and having a bearing portion adapted tofrictionally engage one of said removable bearings, said cams havingsecondary bearing surfaces adapted to fulcrum on the top of said ingotmold, and means associated with each of said cams for gripping the metalof the ingot in such a manner as to cause it to move upwardly withrespect to said ingot mold when said cams are fulcrumed therein.

2. Apparatus for stripping ingot molds comprising a carriage supportedby an overhead crane, a pair of hoisting links pivoted to said 40carriage, a yoke adapted for vertical movement with respect to saidcarriage, said yoke being movable by said overhead crane, afreely-floating cam pivoted to each of the ends of said yoke, and meanson said freely-floating cams for gripping the metal of the ingot, saidcams being devoid of mechanical connection with said carriage and havingsurfaces adapted to fulcrum on the top of the ingot mold in such manneras to dispose said last named means in contact with the 50 ingot,whereby the ingot is caused to move upwardly with respect to said ingotmold solely by the vfulcruming movement of said freely-floating cams.

DAVID P. ANDERSON. 5

